Improvement in railway switches



PATENT Crrron BENJAMIN HINKLEY,OE TROY, NEW YORK.

,I'MPVRQVEMENT m aA LwAv SWITCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 115,470, dated May 30; 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatLBENJ'AMIN HINKLEY, of

the city of Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain Improvementsin Railway Turn-Outs, of which the following; is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in whichi Figure 1 is aplan of one formof my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of i the same. my inventionas adapted to receive cars hav- Fig. 3 is a view of another form of in g wheels with a flange either on one side or on eachside of the tread of each wheel. Fig. erepresents a modified part of the same invention.

Similar parts are "marked by like letters in the different figures.

In the railwayturn-outs now in use the wellknown frog is generally introduced at the intersection of the crossing-rails, which frog leaves a break or opening in the rails at their crossing-point, and requires the use of guardrails along the outertrack-rails opposite to the frog, so that, while the frog and guard-rails are quite expensive, the treads and flanges of the car-wheels and the points and guards of I the frog are battered and worn out very fast, by reason of the bangingof the treads of the wheels. over the open frog-crossing, and the gr'inding'of the flanges of the wheels along the guards. To avoid these idifliculties the frog and guard-rails have, in some cases, been heretofore left out, and a single short crossing-rail or tongue has been introduced and pivoted at its middle, or at its end furthest from the i switch-rails, and so connected with the latter that the act of shiftingthe switch-railsto either track also turned the pivoted crossing-rail or tongue, so thatthe latter temporarily completed the rail at the crossing in that particular track to which the switch-rails were turned and set. In other cases two long rails, which extended past the crossing-point, and a long distanceon the side thereof furthest from the switch-rails, have been pivoted and held together muchilike the common switch-rails, and

so connected with the latter that the shifting of the switch-rails to either track also turned such long crossing-rails, so as to make one or. i the other of them form a continuous rail through a the crossing in whichever track the switch rails were set to. But such-single or double pivoted or swinging crossing-rails or tongues were way turn-outs; and thefixed inside rails A B on the other side of the crossing-point have their ends either united together, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, or separate, Fig. 3. Between the ends of the rails A B and A B are two short railsections C G, which are fastened firmly together and inclined toward each other at, or

nearly at, the same angle as the rails A A" and B B. These crossing-rail sections G U constitute or are fastened together in or upon a stock ortable, D, which is fitted to slide bodily to and fro transversely to the rails, and in or upon ways or guides ef ef, that are in or upon a fixed bed or chair, G, having stops it h, which limit the transverse movements and positions of the rail-sections G O in respect to the crossing-rails A A and B B, so that when the stock D is slid against the-stop orstops h, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the rail-section 0 then coincides with and connects the rails A and A and so that, when the stock ly giving a continuous rail through the crosslng' in each of the tracksA A A and B B B. The rail-sections G 0, when thus inclined toward each other, and fastened together and mounted so as to be slid bodily to and fro transversely a certain limited distance, and arranged in relation to andin combination with the fixed crossing-rails A A and B B, as above described, constitute the distinguishing feature of one part of my invention.

The sliding stock or table which carries the inclined rail-sections O C may be slid side wise to and fro, and set so as to connect either the rails A and A or B and B without any movement of any switch-rails, which independent movement of the rail-sections with the table D may be effected by any suitable means, as, for example, by a rod, i, pivoted to the sliding table and to a hand-lever mounted and operated in a stand, the same as for any ordinary railway switch.

The distinguishing feature of another part of my invention is the combination of the slidin g table D, having the inclined rail-sections U 0 fast thereon, with the usual switch-rails J J and the turnout track-rails A A A and B B B in such manner that the turning of the switch-rails J J, so as to set the latter in connection with either one or the other of the tracks A A A or B B B will simultaneously effect the sliding of the table 1) with the railsections 0 O thereon, so as to thereby set one or the other of those rail-sections in line with the crossing-rails A A or B B of that particular track to which the switch-rails shallbe set. As regards this part of my invention, the switch-rails J J and the sliding table 1), with the inclined rail-sections 0 G thereon, may be connected together so as to be operated simultaneously, as above specified, by means of any suitable device or devices. In Figs. 1 and 3 the switch-rails J J and sliding table D are connected so as to be thus simultaneously operatedxby means of a lever, K, which is pivoted at l, and connected at its ends by pivoted rodsi m with the sliding table and switch-rails.

The lever K may be operated by means of a rod, a, in connection with a switch-stand of any ordinary or suitable construction.

As shown by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the guides ff at the ends of the sliding table D prevent the latter from being forced endwise out of place by the traction of locomotive-wheels on the raiLseet-ions G G and with the construe-- tion shown in those figures the stops it it surely prevent the sliding table D, with the railsections G O thereon, from being forced outward sidewise by the centrifugal tendency of the cars in running along the curve at the cross 111g.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the rail-sections C G are formed in one and the same piece, which may be fastened to the table D by dovetail ribs 0 0 formed on .the table; and a retainingbolt, p, on the table, and rail-sectiens G C, may all be cast or formed together in one piece, or the rail-sections maybe fastened separately to the sliding table, as in Figs. 3 and 4.

The bed G, which holds the sliding stock D and the ends of the crossing-rails A A B B may consist of one piece of cast-iron, as indicated in Fig. 2; or the bed G may be made of wood, with metal guides or ways for the table I) to slide on, or otherwise suitably constructed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 'is

1. The sliding table 1), with the rail-sections G C inclined to each other and fast thereon, when arranged in combination with the'crossing-rails A A and B 13, substantially as described.

2. The cornbination of the sliding table, having inclined rail-sections O 0 fast thereon, with the switch-rails J J and track-rails AA A and B B B substantially as herein set forth.

BENJAMIN HINKLEY.

XVitnesses:

THEODORE A. HALLAVY, AUSTIN F. PARK. 

